Baked Stuffed Cauliflower Recipe
When I rolled up my sleeves to create a vegan menu for the New Year, what I had in mind was actually not a main dish to remind me of Christmas chicken. I thought that I would make a main dish with a smaller presentation and a prominent flavor, but at one point I found myself oiling the cauliflower. As a result, a very successful recipe emerged, both visually and in terms of taste.
When I started this recipe, I started from the whole cauliflower recipe in the oven. The only thing they have in common is that the cauliflower is cooked whole in the oven. Both the texture and flavor are quite different. I stuffed the cauliflower stuffing with carrot puree. It would not be possible to use a granular filling material such as rice because the cauliflower branches were very dense. I also used the carrot, which is one of the vegetables best suited to cauliflower, by pureeing it. Of course, you can use broccoli instead of carrots if you wish.
When I couldn't fill the stuffed cauliflower with rice, I decided to use the rice as a base. As pilaf, instead of rice pilaf, I chose a bulgur pilaf that would not disturb the health balance of this healthy menu. I could have made it with raisins like the stuffed rice, but when I used carrot, a sweet-tasting vegetable, for the stuffing of cauliflower, I thought it would be better to use dried tomatoes, which is a slightly sour ingredient, instead of using a sweet ingredient in the rice. That's what happened. Bulgur pilaf with almonds and sun-dried tomatoes balanced the cauliflower stuffing very well in every way.
Although these two are sufficient in their current form, I wanted to enrich this menu a little more, suitable for the New Year's table, and served the stuffed cauliflower with hibeş. Hibeş is my favorite sauce with every meal. But those who have tried the cauliflower salad recipe with tahini that I shared before will know that cauliflower and tahini go well together. For this reason, according to me, there should be hibeş in the vegan New Year's menu and next to the stuffed cauliflower.
Enjoy the recipe...
Baked Stuffed Cauliflower Recipe with Video
Ingredients
- 1 small sized cauliflower.
For the sauce;
- 5 tablespoons of olive oil,
- 1 teaspoon of red sweet ground pepper,
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder,
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder,
- 1 teaspoon salt.
For the inner filling;
- 3 carrots,
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice,
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil,
- Salt.
Preparation
- Peel and slice the carrots into rounds and put them in a saucepan,
- Wash the cauliflower and cut off the stem,
- Put it in the same saucepan with the stem part in the bottom,
- Add enough water to pass half of it, close the lid and boil the cauliflower and carrots until they are slightly firm,
- Take cauliflower out of the water and take it into a strainer,
- Strain the carrots as well and mash them with a fork,
- Add salt, olive oil and lemon juice and mix,
- Take the mixture into a piping bag,
- Open the cauliflower slightly from the stem and squeeze it between the branches,
- Turn it upside down and place it in a baking tray lined with grease proof paper,
- For the sauce, whisk together olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, ground pepper and salt in a small bowl,
- Rub it on the cauliflower with the help of a brush,
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees until golden brown.
Bon Appetit...
- Murray: This looks interesting and I will try it. There is a step left out between "Peel and slice the carrots into rounds and put them in a saucepan" and "Strain and mash the carrots with a fork." I plan to soften the carrots first. January 7, 2022 12:48 pm
- Kevser: The carrots are cooked in the same pan with the cauliflower, so I didn't feel a necessity to mention it, but it seems that it's necessary. I'll update the recipe. January 7, 2022 2:45 pm
- Murray: I see you have reworded part of the recipe to make it clearer. Thank you. January 8, 2022 3:07 am
- Michele: Where are the links to the specific pilaf and tahini sauce recipes that you mention here. I tried a search on this site and came up with so many hits I was confused. December 20, 2022 8:47 am
- Kevser: Hi! Sorry, apparently I forgot to link the recipes. I'll update the recipe asap. And here are the links https://turkishstylecooking.com/almond-and-sun-dried-tomatoes-bulgur-pilaf-recipe.html https://turkishstylecooking.com/hibes-recipe.html Thank you for letting me know🙏🏻 December 20, 2022 3:46 pm